Folding umbrella.



PATENTED JULY 28,. 1908.

C. R. WHEELER. FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLIQATION FILED APB. 1o. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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/NvE/vro/r mi. 7722@ TTOH/VEY PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

C. R.. WHEELER.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLIMTION FILED A121110, 1907.

2 SHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

WITNESSES:

/UTURNEV CHARLES R. WHEELER, OF GREENE, NEW YORK.

FOLDING UlmnELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1908.

l Application tiled April 10, 1907*. Serial No. 867,310.

. tographer, have invented certain new and usefu Improvements in FoldingUmbrellas; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same. x,

This invention relates to im rovements in umbrellas and more particulary to what are commonly known as folding umbrellas.

The invention comprises a novel series of hinged ribs hinged u n acentral shaft or handle, each rib having a hinged joint and thusenabling the rib to be folded back or unfolded, and which when folded,the lower jointed section folds over back upon the upper section. Thecentral handle or shaft is composed of a series of tubes, withtelescopic connections-mie sliding over the other and in this manner thehandle is sluit. up or shortened to less than half its length whenextend ed. The ordinary catches or projections hold the telescopicsections in position; the handle'is further composed of an adjustableextending tip, which slides within the upper portion of the handle andis frictionally adjusted in the same-the interior of the up er portionof the handle being soconstructe at the upper end as to ermit theadjustable tip to be withdrawn and) extended and there rigidly held inposition or again closed down within the handle, at the pleasure of theoperator or person using the umbrella. Thus the umbrella` or parasol canbe reduced to the smallest possible si-ze. The extension ribs arefurther iliade rigid by the aid of clutches or receivers extending fromthe side of the up )er tended end of the hinged member when open andhold the same rigidly extended.

The object of my invention is to )rovide a siin le and easilyconstructed fol inguinbrel a or iarasol frame which will fold up andsluit up into less than half its ordinary size when open, and thusenable the same to be carried in a bag, suit case or trunk with greatconvenience to the traveler.

ln the construction of the handle ll may also use instead of the slidingtubes, a solid head containing a threaded socket or opening.

and into which a fitted threaded extension of the next handle may enter'and be united by a screw connection and thus is held rigidly sectionwhich receive the ex-k forming a handle composed of screwed jointsinstead of telescopic joints.

With this and other objects in view the in' vention comprises certainnovel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will behereinafter fully described and claimed. j

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the umbrella according to myinvention; the umbrella is shown partly closed, the silk or cov eringbeing removed for clearness of illustration; Fig. Z is a brokensectional view of the upper portion of the umbrella. Fig. 3 shows theumbrella in a collapsed position; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of one ofthe ribs; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modified form ofmy invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The extension tip A is positioned as shown in Fig. 2 having the slot B;it enters tube C at the point D; across the hollow tube VC is a rivet orpin E; when closed down the slotted top A extends down over the pin E asshown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The arms F and F of tube A extend down oneither side of the in or rivet E. When Withdrawn or exten yed as in Fig.1, the tip is sustained within the tube C- and twisted or partiallyrotated so that the slot B does not meet the pin -E and thus the tip isheld supported in the extended osition as shown in Fi 1, supported by tpin E and the sides o the tube D, as shown in Fig. 1'. When the tip A isclosed down within the tube as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it forms atelescopic position there shown. Thus the .tip A can be extended outfroln the tube forming the handle of the umbrella or shut within thetube and thus the handle is shortened. The tube C slides within theltube G and tube G withilI tube H which latter forms the handle ortionof the umbrella, which is extende or lengthened b v such telescopicmovement and connection.

Within tube C is inserted a small catchlever l fulcrumed at the point Jand tube G is drawn out until the projecting knob K meets and enters theslot in tube G at the point l, and by this action holds tube G in arigid telescopic connection with tube C. 0n tube H is mounted thecatch-lever M fulcrumed at the point N and tube H is extended until theprojection C in the catchlever N meets the slot P in tube G when itenters said slot and tube H is thus held in rigid telescopic connectionwith tube G, thus the handle is extended to its full length as shown inFig. 1. end is the circular notch R having at its outer edge at points Sand S hinge connections with the ribs T and T as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,and 5. 0n ribs T at the points U and U are hinge connections withordinary umbrella. braces V and V as shown in Fig. 1, havin hingeconnections at points U and U3 wit the runner V2. About midlength of thetube section C, is mounted a catch W. l

When the umbrella is opened and the cover held in a rigid position asordinarily held when in use, the runner V2 is extended along tube Cuntil its lower edge is engaged against the catch W. When the umbrellais to be closed and folded up or placed in a folded position the ruimerV2 is ushed up past tube G and along tube C until it reaches and restsagainst the notch R as shown in Fig. 3. The folding extensions of theribs T2 and T3 fulcrumed at the points T4 and T5 are then turned backuntil their outer ends rest against the notch R, a't the points T1 andT7 as shown in Fig. 3. The

races V and V are carried upward with handle-ring V2 until they restagainst notch R as shown in Fig. 3. Ribs T and T hinged at the point Sand .S are then brought down in a per endicular posit-ion on the linewith the han( le of the umbrella as shown in Fig. 3. The outer ends ofribs T and T are provided with curved lugs or ears W and W as shown inFigs. 1, 3, and 4. The outer rib sections T2 and T3 are hinged at thepoints T* and T5 and. have the extended tongues X as shown in Fig. 3,extending beyond T, which7 when the extensions T2 and T3 are extended,the extension X rests in the pocket W formed by the outward curvedportion of T and T as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 which materially aids inmaking a rigid connection at the points T and T5 when the ribs are in anextended position. I elect also to form the rod of the umbrella in themanner shown in Fig. 5, by means of screw connections instead of telesco)ic connections as before described. In tu e C at the point A',

On tube C- at the upperpoints E2, as shown in Fig. 5.

are cut screw-threads and the tip has a threaded screw which fits intotube C and forms a screw connection at points A', as shown in Fig. 5. Intube G is inserted a plug-B', held in place by the rivet C2 and whichhas a threaded extension D2. In the lower end of tube Care cut threadsand the threaded extension D2 is thus connected by thisserew connectionwith tube C at the Tube H has a similar connection with tube G at thepoints T as shown in Fig. 5, and thus the rod of the umbrella is formedof four connecting parts forming screw-connections with each other asshown in Fig. 5. Tube C in Fig. 5 has the lever-catch along thisextended handle. The handle-ring V2 described in Fig. l, slides back andforth to its different positions as the umbrella is opened or closed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and for which Idesire Letters Patent is as follows An umbrella comprising a sectionalstaff made up of telescopic sections and held extended bv means ofspring latches, and a notch and runner on the same, ribs connected atone end to the notch and each formed in two sections the upper ribsections being pivoted to the notch, braces connected between the runnerand' the upper rib sections, spaced wings or lugs on the underside atthe ends of the upper rib sections to form pockets, the lower ribsections being pivoted to the end of the upper rib sections and havinustraight portions extending beyond the point of pivotal connection toengage in the )ockets in the upper rib sections, the lower rib sectionsadapted to fold up over the outside of the upper sect-ions the outerportion of the staff being iollow, a tip adapted to be housed therein, atransverse pin extending through said hollow outer stalll section and alongitudinal slot in the tip to fit over said transverse pin, the pinadapted to support the base of the tip when the same is withdrawn.

In testimony whereof I have afixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

Cl IARLES R. WHEELER. 'itnesses Geo. W. LnNnaRsoN, MARY CLARK.

